Cesc Fabregas: Playing Defensively at Barcelona would be a “Suicide Mission”

When Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas goes back to his hometown for the Blues’ road leg of their UEFA Champions League tie at Barcelona, he knows what exactly needs to be done. Fabregas and Chelsea battled one of his former clubs to a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge tonight, playing ultra-defensively.

Fabregas says that it would be “basically a suicide mission” to take that approach into the Camp Nou. Fabregas says the west London side must attack, and rack up the goals if they are to have any chance of advancing through to the quarterfinals. Barca has an away goal up on Chelsea now, so a 0-0 draw would result in elimination. They must score at least one to survive.

“We go home thinking we completed a good work, we competed very well [and] we should be proud of that but at the same time we go home sad,” Fabregas said in a television interview after the match.

“It was an unfair result. It’s still open, but we know we have to play a very excellent same again to compete.

“90 minutes there defending, can be a very long 90 minutes, it’s basically a suicide mission,” he added. “We have to feel that we can hurt them.”

Chelsea forward Willian was arguably the best player on the pitch tonight. He scored the Blues only goal to give them the early lead at the 62′, until Lionel Messi equalized in the 75′ and ended his own personal scoring drought versus Chelsea. It was the first time Messi scored against Chelsea, and it took him nine games to do so.

Fabregas added that he thought Willian could have had a hat trick tonight. We shall see if Antonio Conte pushes his men to get more aggressive and attack more in the away leg on March 14.

Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, currently contributes regularly to WGN CLTV and the Tribune company’s blogging community Chicago Now.